Chocolate Dipped Mandarin Slices

After dipping a pound of bacon the other day, we still had chocolate left over.  I glanced over at my box of fresh citrus my sister-in-law sent me from Ripe To You full of Meyer Lemons, mandarins and navel oranges, all picked and packed at peak taste, and thought chocolate dipped mandarin slices… Mmm!

My husband is returning from deployment tonight, a day after Valentine’s, so we are celebrating Valentine’s Day tonight with these chocolate dipped yummies.  Of course we had to do a taste test and they were as tasty as I had hoped they would be.  They make a fun juicy burst in your mouth.  Love it!

Chocolate Dipped Mandarins

• 4 mandarin oranges, peeled and divided
• 1 bag Enjoy Life chocolate chips (or chocolate of your choice)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in a double boiler or small sauce pan.  

Dip mandarin slices and set on a tray lined with wax paper.  Set in the fridge or freezer until chocolate is set.

Spiced Hot Chocolate

Nothing warms your bones after being out in the snow like a nice warm cup of hot chocolate.  Now you can drink it and feel good about drinking it.  It’s getting cold here and the first thing the kids want when they come in from doing their chores is hot chocolate.  While we don’t have it every day, I can make it occasionally as a special treat.

Spiced Hot Chocolate

• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 oz high quality baking chocolate grated (or if you’re lazy like me, 1/4 cup cocoa powder)
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 4 cups milk from pastured animals
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods (or a pinch of ground cardamom)
• pinch of sea salt

In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, mix honey, chocolate and hot water.  Stir until chocolate is melted and hot, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in milk and add vanilla, spices and salt.  Cover and warm the milk but DO NOT BOIL for about 10-15 mins or longer, letting the spices steep.

Or you can just go to the store and get a package with the following ingredients:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Coconut or Palm Kernel and Canola. Hydrogenated Palm, Soybean, Cottonseed, and/or Safflower), Dairy Product Solids, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Salt, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Caseinate (From Milk), Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Aluminodilicate, Mono-and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Artificial Flavors, Sucralose.


Um, yeah, no thank you.  9 real ingredients verses 15-21 not quite real and some downright awful ingredients.  Does the real thing really take that much more time?  I don’t think so.